


The Lucky One

by canufeelthemagictonight



Series: ETNuary [26]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: (That's a lie), Bretman is okay, Denial, ETNuary, Gen, Happy Bretman Day!, Nightmares, Post-Canon, Psychological Trauma, Survivor Guilt, Trauma, luck, supportive family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22434667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canufeelthemagictonight/pseuds/canufeelthemagictonight
Summary: Bretman is the lucky one.Bretman Rock post-s4.An Escape the Night one-shot. Day 26 of ETNuary.
Series: ETNuary [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1587721
Comments: 19
Kudos: 15





	The Lucky One

**Author's Note:**

> Day 26 is Bretman Rock, my newest son. I love him.

Bretman is the lucky one.

He was never a missing person like the others were. He didn't lose three months of his life. He didn't worry his family—hell, they never even noticed he was gone for longer than a night, which is typical Bretman. 

As far as the world is concerned, he had nothing to do with the tragedies or Colleen's miraculous recovery. The Society Against Evil covered up his involvement, sparing him from the press and the unwanted attention.

He didn't even lose any close friends. How _could_ he? Everyone he was with (minus Joey, and who even knows with Joey these days) was either only there for a little bit or was dead already. No big deal. He's long since gotten past those particular deaths.

There's no need for therapy. He's fine. Everything's fine. He's chilling in Hawaii now. His life is back to normal.

It's not a problem that he wakes up screaming in the middle of the night, his mind plagued with nightmares of knives and pirates and dinosaurs. He doesn't mind seeing his dead friends' faces every time he closes his eyes or even lets his mind wander off being a-okay. That's just part of being normal. Everyone goes through it, probably. He's got nothing at all to worry about.

And he's not _that_ sorry for what he did, either. Guilt doesn't hang over his head like a cloud. He's apologized to the people he needed to apologize to, so everything's cool. Everything's Gucci, as he likes to say.

After all, he's the lucky one. He's the one who never died.

So why doesn't he feel as lucky as he should?

His sister, Princess, keeps asking him if he's doing all right. She says that he looks like he hasn't slept in weeks. He hasn't, of course, but she doesn't need to know that. That would just worry her. The last thing he wants to do is worry anyone he cares about.

"If you need anyone to talk to," Princess says, "I'm here."

Little two-year-old Cleo holds out her hands to Bretman, as if she's supporting her mom's statement.

Bretman hugs them both. "I'm fine," he assures them.

Princess doesn't look like she believes him.

Later, Bretman gets a good look at himself in the mirror, and he really _does_ look like hell. There are dark circles under his eyes, and his hair looks like a bird nested it in and then destroyed its nest before leaving. Oh, well. Nothing that can't be fixed with some makeup and hairspray.

He spends an hour doing his makeup and hair. When he's done, it _still_ doesn't look right.

But that's okay, because nobody's perfect.

Least of all him.

He's the lucky one. He could've had it _so_ much worse than he did. Everyone says so. He believes them, because if he doesn't, he'll break down. And the one thing that Bretman absolutely _refuses_ to do is break down.

So he keeps living, and he thanks his lucky stars for his good fortune.

(How long can he keep lying to himself?)

**Author's Note:**

> Next up: Andrea Russett!


End file.
